The Association of British Insurers (ABI) today reported the heavy snowfall earlier in the year cost insurers £650 million in weather-related claims. Between December 18 and January 13, when snow and plummeting temperatures swept the country, there were around 335,000 claims, said the ABI. The majority of the claims came from motorists as a result [...]
Homeowners renting a room to a lodger should inform their home insurance provider, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said this week. According to the ABI, homeowners who don’t inform their insurance provider about taking on a lodger risk invalidating their policy. “If you are applying for insurance and you are taking a lodger, or [...]
Drivers are paying over the odds on their car insurance because of a rising number of “unnecessary” personal injury claims and associated legal fees, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said this week. The insurance industry body said soaring injury claims and associated legal fees have become a major issue for motor insurers, and are [...]
Undetected insurance fraud has increased 24% in the past two years, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said this week. Insurance fraud has soared to an estimated £1.9 billion per year, the ABI said, equivalent to £5.2 million per day. Detected insurance fraud has also increased, with £730 million worth of claims rejected in 2008, [...]
Frugal householders that scrimp on home insurance to save money are playing a risky game, an industry expert warned this week. Graeme Trudgill, corporate affairs executive at the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), said homeowners should not use the recession as an excuse to stop paying premiums on buildings and contents insurance cover. His comments [...]
British consumers are increasingly turning to private insurance for their healthcare needs despite the deepening recession. Research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shows that the number of people covered by private medical insurance (PMI) increased 2.7% in 2008, compared with 2007. By the end of 2008, 6.2 million people were paying premiums on [...]
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the recession has sparked an increase in the number of fraudulent insurance claims. The ABI found that around 107,000 claims totalling £730 million were false last year - this value was up 30% on 2007, with the figure rising since 2004. Figures show that the most common [...]
The AA has lashed out at government plans to make age and gender discrimination illegal on car insurance policies. Premiums could double for some drivers, the AA said, if the Equities Bill, due to be brought to parliament this spring, is extended to cover the sale of insurance. Age and gender are key factors that [...]
Almost three quarters (73%) of UK consumers believe the benefits of saving have fallen over the last year, according to new research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Only 7% of those questioned felt the benefits of saving have increased, down from 15% when the survey was conducted three months earlier. Rebecca Driver, the [...]
Almost half of Brits have made a New Year’s resolution to save more in 2009, according to research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Forty seven percent of those polled said they have resolved to save more this year, whilst 51% felt that the recession will make them ‘more likely’ to boost their savings. [...]
A deal has been reached between the Government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to ensure that homes will continue to receive flood cover. Last month, the ABI warned the Government to take action against floods as its members will stop insuring people in high risk areas. The ABI has been urging the Government [...]
According to industry body, Association of British Insurers (ABI), dishonest drivers face a nasty surprise as detection of fraudulent claims has increased by 70% over the last 3 years. Last year, the ABI uncovered 24,000 fraudulent motor insurance claims worth £260 million, or £5 million every week. Nick Starling, the ABI’s Director of General Insurance [...]
The Institutional Voting Information Service (IVIS), which is operated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned there are “breaches of sound governance” in the proposals for Bradford & Bingley’s (B&B) rights issue and the sale of a 23% stake to Texas Pacific Group (TPG). The IVIS has placed an ‘amber top’ on the [...]
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is warning that the Government must take action against floods as its members will stop insuring people in high risk areas. According to the ABI, there are 517,000 homes at significant risk of being flooded. The floods last summer cost the ABI’s members £3 billion in claims. Furthermore, nearly [...]
Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show that the number of people covered by private medical insurance (PMI) has exceeded the six million mark for the first time in 5 years. Despite the economic downturn, insurer BUPA has experienced a 20% increase in sales in the first quarter of this year. Fears of [...]
First-time buyer mortgages remain in short supply
The Funding for Lending scheme (FLS) is failing to boost the supply of mortgages for first-time buyers, according to financial information service Moneyfacts. FLS, which was launched by the Treasury and the Bank of England in August, is designed to reduce funding costs for lenders, allowing them to increase their lending to businesses and individuals, [...]
Basic bank account standards at risk
Consumer Focus, the statutory consumer champion, is calling for a minimum standard for basic bank accounts to be introduced, to ensure the survival of the product. Basic bank accounts are used by people who are unable to open a regular current account, perhaps because of a poor credit history. It is estimated that they are [...]
A year has passed since the government replaced Child Trust Funds with Junior ISAs (JISAs) but more than half of parents are unaware that they exist, according to research by friendly society Family Investments Children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 were eligible to open a Child Trust Fund and to receive [...]
PPI costs increase for Lloyds and Barclays
Lloyds Banking Group has set aside a further £1 billion to cover compensation costs for customers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Yesterday, Barclays revealed £700m of PPI costs in the 2012 third quarter increasing its total provision to £2bn. Lloyds Banking Group, which has made the largest PPI provision out of all the [...]
Bonfire Night worst day for burglaries warns Aviva
Insurance group Aviva is warning households to be vigilant over security at this time of the year, as burglaries tend to increase signficantly between Halloween and Bonfire Night. On Bonfire Night the number of burglaries increases by around 25 per cent compared with an average day, according to the company’s research. Aviva also reported a [...]
Consumer confidence hits six-month low
Although the UK has officially emerged from recession, consumer confidence fell to -30 in October from -28 in September, according to market researcher company GfK NOP. This is the lowest level of consumer confidence since April when the UK was in an economic slump. Analysts had expected the index to remain stable at -28. Respondents [...]
100,000 mortgage holders escape negative equity trap
New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reveal that the number of borrowers in negative equity fell 13 per cent to 719,000 between the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The number of borrowers paying a mortgage greater than the value of their property fell despite a further small [...]
Banking commission appoints counsel to cross-examine witnesses
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has appointed counsel to cross-examine witnesses during its inquiry into the collapse of Halifax Bank of Scotland. Barrister David Quest has been appointed to question witnesses in a public evidence session, as part of a sub-committee panel inquiry into the bank. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Commission said: “This [...]
Mortgage approvals increased in September
An increase in the number of mortgage approvals in September suggests that the ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, launched by the Treasury and the Bank of England, may be starting to give the property market a boost. According to Bank of England figures, the number of loans approved for house purchase increased by 2,103 to 50,024 [...]
Five million paid less than living wage
Five million people in the UK are paid less than the ‘living wage’ of £7.20, or £8.30 in London, according to a new report by KPMG. In Northern Ireland, 24 per cent of workers receive less than they require in order to pay for essentials and the situation is little better in Wales where 23 [...]
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